A/N – First of all, great big oops about last chapter. I don't know what made me lable it as chapter six. This is chapter six. XD
Also, sorry about such long pauses between updates! I never really anticipate them but they always happen. What a pain... Well, school's back. I get early dismissal so I'm always home super early, but, I'm also AP so it feels like I blow all that time on homework. Ugh. -.-
Chapter Six - Break
At least the sun was officially up. Colonel Roy Mustang yawned, leaning back in his chair. His office was deathly quiet and boring. He had absolutely nothing to do today, and not in that pretending kind of way, either; he was seriously out of work.
It was the first time in months.
He'd done literally everything and he was bored out of his mind. He twirled pencils and flung rubber bands across the room, and he was in the middle of chaining paper clips together when he heard the click of his office door opening. His hands lowered over the jumbled mess he'd made and bored obsidian eyes focused on the source of the noise. He'd figured it was someone unusual; anyone used to the norm of Central HQ would have knocked.
It was Alphonse Elric. The sixteen year old didn't look very happy, and the bored feeling slid from Roy's mind in an instant. "Al." he said, unable to help the mild surprise in his voice. He hadn't heard from Ed in a while, since the discussion on Central's newest war, so he couldn't imagine why the younger Elric would show up here unless it was on his behalf. "What can I do for you?"
Al sighed, mentally preparing himself before he replied, "I think it's about time we had a talk, Colonel."
"Um... okay. What's up?" Now he wasn't bored at all. He propped his elbows up on the desk, fingers clasping into each other as he listened.
Al wasn't the most assertive person in the world. Just the fact that he was here demanding something, and to Roy of all people, gave him a bad feeling right off the bat. He couldn't shake it. He knew it was stupid, that everything was obviously fine, but he couldn't help it. There was another short pause as Al thought, and then he finally began, "It's about Ed..."
"Oh, really?"
And just like that all his emotions spilled out. He spoke with hardly a pause, his voice both strong and worried at the same time. "How come you keep sending him on these missions of yours? He's overworked! He didn't even come home and talk to me the last time he left."
Suddenly Roy's 'paranoia', as he'd called it, didn't feel so uncalled for. He swallowed. "But I haven't sent Fullmetal anywhere since he returned from Pendleton the other day."
"W-what?"
"Yeah. You know it's mandatory now that all State Alchemists remain in Central until called on for deployment. It's been that way since the invasion." Roy began to explain. He sounded as professional as he always did. "He's supposed to be here. He checked in with me."
"But...but he's not." Al insisted. It seemed like their little discussion was only making things worse. The Elric sighed under his breath and finally asked the question they were both thinking. "So then if he isn't home, where do you think he is?"
"I don't know, Al. I have no idea."
"So then...?"
And then he remembered the last time he'd spoken with the Fullmetal Alchemist. Ed hadn't been his usual happy self; that much was obvious. "Look, don't overreact, Al. Last I heard from him, he was very unhappy about this war. I don't really think he knows what he wants right now. Maybe he's taking some personal time, you know, so he can figure his own thoughts out."
Al looked like he was thinking about that. He frowned. "He would have told me something."
"You're sure? He's never done anything spur of the moment before?"
"Yeah, but-"
"Come on. He's Ed." That explanation was more than enough. Ed was known for thinking on his toes, and for acting on it without a doubt. A smirk graced the corners of Roy's lips, and he decided, "This probably isn't as big a deal as you think it is. I understand he's your brother and you worry, but I'm sure he's fine."
There was a pause between the two of them. Al looked unsure, but Roy was confident. He was confident enough that it wasn't hard for Al to place his trust in him. "You're probably right, I guess." he admitted.
"But, listen. Give it a few more days and if he's not back, you should come back to me. We'll do something about it. Good?"
"Good." Al agreed.
Roy could detect a hint of hesitance in it, but he figured it was the worry factor again. He felt pretty sure of his earlier decision. Ed would be okay. He'd drop some reassurance. "One more thing."
"Yes?"
"Don't worry about it, Al, I'm serious. No matter what's going on Ed is tough. Understood?"
The doubt was clearly still there, at least a little, but Roy could see confidence forming in his eyes. No one could deny Ed's strength. The younger Elric nodded. "Understood."
After his discussion with Kimblee, Ed crashed pretty hard. It was awful. Every time he felt like it couldn't get any worse things somehow managed to top themselves. He was at the point where he refused to make another empty promise to himself. He couldn't expect anything. Not anymore.
This can't be real.
The thought had lingered in his mind for the longest. He could still vividly remember the first time it hit him in the interrogation room, and it hadn't left since. He'd been telling himself that this couldn't be real, none of it was, but he knew that in itself was a lie.
It was real. It was so very, very real.
All he wanted was close his eyes and go back to sleep. The first part was easy. There wasn't much else to do in a pitch black, mostly quiet hospital room but close your eyes and think, especially when you were bound to your bed. Sleeping was the hard part, but it didn't mean he wasn't about to try. If anything he still had his willpower.
He was in the middle of doing so when he heard the click of lights flicking on, and noticed the brightness forming in the corners of his eyes. He opened them and gradually adjusted to the light.
"Come on. Up and at 'em, 089."
This came from Kimblee. Ed should have expected to see him. Surprisingly, though, the anger wasn't there like it usually was. He was too tired, too frustrated, to feel angry. He could feel it welling up in the back of his mind but it never really came out.
He opened his mouth to reply, and what he was thinking was to demand exactly what he wanted, but he thought about that for a second. He paused. Then, he sighed, "I don't know what you want."
Kimblee rose an eyebrow at that, and there was a pause between the two of them. Ed had done something wrong again. He was always doing something wrong. Nervous, he closed his eyes in defeat. Whatever Kimblee had in plan, he just wanted it to be over with.
It was a small glimpse into his current state of mind, hardly much at all, but Kimblee caught it. He'd been waiting for it for days. Ed didn't have much left to give. Upon this realization, the older man smirked in satisfaction. It went unnoticed.
He was going to have to head on up to Bradley's office now, and tell him 089's real training could finally begin. They'd gotten him.
A/N – God, what a short chapter! Sorry for not giving you guys your time's worth... :(
I just, once again, didn't see how I could prolong these scenes. I'd gotten advice that I shouldn't worry about all that, anyway, but, that didn't stop me from spending a few days trying. I don't know, guys, I'm sore from PT-ing and tired from school and all messed up.
But next chapter should be interesting! ^_^
They can finally move on to other phases, and we'll get to see tons of new stuff. Yay! I finally get to tap that unused file of 'Deathless' ideas! I'm so stoked. :D